Pete Hegseth Appeals Order Blocking Sen. Mark Kelly's Punishment For Call To Resist Unlawful Orders

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Huff Post/AP

Feb 25, 2026, 11:28 AM EST


WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is appealing a judge’s order that blocks him from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, for participating in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders, according to a court filing on Tuesday.

Justice Department officials filed a notice that they wil ask a panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the Feb. 12 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon.

Kelly, who represents Arizona, said in a social media post that the only reason for Hegseth to appeal is to “keep trampling on the free speech rights of retired veterans and silence dissent.”

“These guys don’t know when to quit,” Kelly wrote on his X account.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pete-hegseth-appeals-order-blocking-mark-kellys-punishment_n_699f20ede4b0ef1afcc00575?origin=home-zone-d-unit

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Link to tweet

Senator Mark Kelly
@SenMarkKelly
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These guys don’t know when to quit. A federal judge told Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth that they violated my constitutional rights and chilled the free speech of millions of retired veterans. There is only one reason to appeal that ruling: to keep trampling on the free speech Show more
POLITICO
@politico
Hegseth revives push to punish Sen. Mark Kelly http://dlvr.it/TR83Cm
6:27 PM · Feb 24, 2026

[tanyev]

1. So....what Pete's saying is that Trump has given unlawful orders, amirite?

🤨

[JokeHer]

2. Give it up Kegseth

What a vile piece of trash… just keep on LOSING!!!!

[spooky3]

3. It pisses me off that they have unlimited $ from taxpayers to pursue

Last edited Wed Feb 25, 2026, 09:35 PM - Edit history (1)

Meritless and harmful charges.

[Lovie777]

4. Enough of this shit................

[mdbl]

5. He must have fallen off the wagon

Or hasn't he heard the lead prosecutor has dropped the case? What an asshat.

[artemisia1]

9. He has never been on the wagon... /nt

[Skittles]

10. like, Trump, he doesn't give a fuck about the law

fascist thugs

[Martin68]

6. Hegseth is just digging himself deeper into his hole - as are many of Trump's minions.

[Norrrm]

7. Generals, admirals, and other high-ranking officers must feel let down to toe the line to this drunken minor major.

Generals, admirals, and other high-ranking officers must feel let down to toe the line to this drunken minor major.

Hegseth DUI/DEI hire - the minor major

[Jack Valentino]

8. Pete---- go have another drink and just SHUT THE FUCK UP. You LOST

because you never had a case. End of story.

[Skittles]

11. he's appealing hoping a Trump whore will respond

you know, because they're not allowed to go full-blown authoritarian yet

[travelingthrulife]

14. But keeping the chaos going is the point.

Putin's orders.

[The Wizard]

12. Imagine the verbal gymnastics

the Mediocre (formerly Supreme and currently compromised) Court will engage in to support Trump's fascist agenda.

[travelingthrulife]

13. Every single Cabinet member is a nightmare.

We have no functional LEO or judiciary system.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. What Pete Hegseth's fixation on Mark Kelly reveals

Hegseth's petty pursuit of a senator who dared speak out against Trump is a clear authoritarian signal.

What Pete Hegseth’s fixation on Mark Kelly reveals
Hegseth's petty pursuit of a senator who dared speak out against Trump is a clear authoritarian signal. www.ms.now/opinion/pete...

— Newswire - World 🌎 Independent News Network Pro-Democracy (@democracyblue.bsky.social) 2026-02-26T13:55:38.431Z

https://www.ms.now/opinion/pete-hegseth-mark-kelly-appeal-court-free-speech

Pete Hegseth just can’t let it go.

The Defense secretary is appealing a judge’s order blocking him from censuring Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., for participating in a video with five other Democratic lawmakers reminding service members of their duty to disobey illegal orders.

Hegseth’s determination to continue fighting Kelly in court shows how fixated he is on suppressing free speech and punishing dissent against the Pentagon. His doggedness also illustrates the Trump administration’s determination to reconceptualize the military as a politicized fighting force that shouldn’t be bound by the law.......

As Lt. Col. Rachel E. VanLandingham, who’s retired from the Air Force, wrote for MS NOW, Hegseth’s position is that he can treat military retirees the same as active service members — who do face more stringent restrictions on their speech while serving in the military, in part to ensure the military’s need for obedience to commands. But VanLandingham, who is a law professor at Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles, said “no court has ever extended this shrunken First Amendment protection to military retirees.” She added, “I trust that the D.C. Circuit, and eventually the Supreme Court, will continue to protect the free speech rights of millions of us military retirees.”

Hegseth seems to face a steep hill in his bid to punish Kelly. But even if he is unlikely to succeed on a legal level, that should not divert our attention from how dishonorable and petty his harassment of the decorated officer is. The head of the Defense Department should be focused on keeping Americans safe. But Hegseth — when he isn’t accidentally leaking war plans to journalists, doing childish pull-up competitions or insinuating U.S. soldiers shouldn’t be wary about committing war crimes — is doggedly working to make Kelly’s life more difficult and rob him of his pension because he dared to question the Trump administration.

Hegseth’s efforts also have political effects. Just like when he investigated hundreds of Defense Department employees for critical remarks after the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, Hegseth’s vendetta against Kelly telegraphs a security vision that demands fascistic deference to political leaders.

Ultimately, Hegseth’s fury that lawmakers encouraged service members to disobey illegal orders gives away the game: Why would a man who swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States be so angry that troops are reminded that they ought to do the same?